US5775066A - Device for the distribution of bulk articles and use of such a device - Google Patents

Device for the distribution of bulk articles and use of such a device Download PDF

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Publication number
US5775066A
US5775066A US08/600,164 US60016496A US5775066A US 5775066 A US5775066 A US 5775066A US 60016496 A US60016496 A US 60016496A US 5775066 A US5775066 A US 5775066A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
stock container
conveyor
bulk articles
articles
bulk
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US08/600,164
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English (en)
Inventor
Jose Lamaire
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
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Individual
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Filing date
Publication date
Priority to BE9400905A priority Critical patent/BE1008799A5/nl
Priority to EP95202676A priority patent/EP0708020A1/fr
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Priority to US08/600,164 priority patent/US5775066A/en
Assigned to LAMAIRE, BART reassignment LAMAIRE, BART ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: LAMAIRE, JOSE
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US5775066A publication Critical patent/US5775066A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B25/00—Packaging other articles presenting special problems
    • B65B25/02—Packaging agricultural or horticultural products
    • B65B25/04—Packaging fruit or vegetables
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B1/00—Packaging fluent solid material, e.g. powders, granular or loose fibrous material, loose masses of small articles, in individual containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, or jars
    • B65B1/30—Devices or methods for controlling or determining the quantity or quality or the material fed or filled
    • B65B1/46—Check-weighing of filled containers or receptacles
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B57/00—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices
    • B65B57/10—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged
    • B65B57/14—Automatic control, checking, warning, or safety devices responsive to absence, presence, abnormal feed, or misplacement of articles or materials to be packaged and operating to control, or stop, the feed of articles or material to be packaged

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a device for the distribution of bulk articles, comprising a stock container, provided with a discharge opening, and a conveyor, which can be driven so as to transport bulk articles, leaving the stock container along the discharge opening, and drop them into a packaging.
  • the device described in this European patent application comprises a fixedly disposed feed trough having a discharge opening, beneath which there is disposed a conveyor belt which can be driven so as to transport the bulk articles falling from the feed trough and drop them into a collecting trough.
  • This device also further comprises a weighing installation for determining the weight of the bulk articles conducted to the collecting trough.
  • the device described in the U.S. patent comprises two feed troughs, the discharge openings of which are disposed above respective conveyor belts. These conveyor belts are provided so as to transport the bulk articles to a collecting trough of a weighing scale, whence a predetermined weight of bulk articles is repeatedly conducted to a packaging machine. This device is particularly provided so as to distribute bulk articles, such as potatoes, in quantities of roughly the same weight, before the quantities in question are respectively packed in closed packagings.
  • a device which comprises a conveyor bolt for supplying bulk articles (such as potatoes) such that they fall into a box to be filled. Whilst it is filled, the box stands on a weighing scale provided with means, depending upon the weight of the articles in the box, for lowering the drive velocity of the conveyor belt or for halting the conveyor belt for the purpose of introducing into the box a quantity of articles, the weight of which conforms as precisely as possible to a predetermined weight.
  • This device does not contain a stock container.
  • Some articles such as fruit or vegetables (potatoes, for example) are soon damaged if they fall onto a surface or one upon the other.
  • the object of the present invention consists in remedying these drawbacks.
  • This object in achieved by providing the device for the distribution of bulk articles with a removable stock container.
  • the bulk articles are loaded at the storage site into the stock container.
  • This stock container is afterwards conducted to the device and placed upon it. In this way, the risk of damaging the articles is incurred only once.
  • this in provided with a weighing device for weighing the quantity of bulk articles which has ended up in a packaging and with an adjustable control device for switching off a drive device of the conveyor once a preset weight of bulk articles is weighed by the weighing device.
  • a user who wishes to have a specific weight of bulk articles end up in a packaging can achieve this in a very simple and user-friendly manner using the device according to the present invention.
  • the filling of the packaging is indeed automatically halted, once the preset, desired weight is reached.
  • the stock container is preferably provided with a slide valve.
  • the most preferred embodiment of the stock container is obtained by providing the stock container with walls which obliquely converge in the direction of the base, whilst the discharge opening is provided in the base of the stock container.
  • a stock container of this kind permits easy emptying. The bulk articles in the stock container are indeed guided by the walls towards the discharge opening.
  • a brush cut-off is provided so as to prevent bulk articles from falling from the conveyor when this conveyor in not driven.
  • the conveyor drive is switched off, the fall of the articles into the packaging is halted almost immediately.
  • the conveyor is switched off manually or automatically at the moment when the desired quantity of articles is present in the packaging.
  • the brush cut-off prevents further articles, once the conveyor has been switched off, from falling into the packaging or--following removal of the packaging--from falling onto the spot where a packaging should have been placed.
  • the container in provided on the bottom side with supporting legs, it can, on the one hand, be easily lifted by a transport means having a lifting device, such as a forklift truck, for example.
  • a lifting device such as a forklift truck, for example.
  • the stock container can thereby rapidly be placed at the exact spot on the device.
  • the stock container being provided with smooth, wooden inner walls, the bulk articles slide easily towards the discharge opening, which facilitates easy emptying and reduces the risk of the articles being damaged.
  • the conveyor is fastened to a supporting structure for the stock container.
  • a device of this kind has a relatively simple and compact construction.
  • the present invention also further relates to the use of a device for the distribution of bulk articles.
  • a stock of bulk articles At a location which is accessible to the customer, there is provided, on the one hand, a stock of bulk articles and, on the other hand, a stock of disposable packagings.
  • the customer can fill a packaging by hand with the desired quantity of bulk articles.
  • a weighing scale is likewise provided so as to allow the customer to weigh the articles placed in the packaging. The price is then either determined automatically and printed on a label which has to be affixed to the packaging by the customer or it is determined by weighing at the till.
  • This method of selling bulk articles calls for disposable packagings, which are detrimental to the environment and influence the selling price.
  • Bulk articles are also prepacked in closed disposable packagings to enable these to be offered for sale in shops.
  • the prepackaging of bulk articles involves labour and costs which influence the selling price of the bulk articles.
  • the disposable packagings moreover, are detrimental to the environment.
  • An object of the invention in to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks associated with the sale of bulk articles in a shop.
  • This object in achieved by using a device for the distribution of bulk articles as an apparatus in the sale of bulk articles in a shop, this device comprising a stock container and a conveyor, which can be driven so as to transport bulk articles, leaving the stock container along the discharge opening, and drop them into a packaging.
  • the selling price of the articles will be lower than in the case of prepacked articles in view of the fact that there are no costs involved in packaging the articles. This is carried out, in fact, by the customer himself or by the shop assistant at the moment of sale.
  • Delicate articles are less heavily damaged and, in view of the fact that the customer can use re-usable packagings (a basket or shopping bag of his/her own, for example), the environment suffers less pollution.
  • the customer can precisely determine the quantity of articles which he wishes to buy, whilst he is unable to pick out the highest-quality articles. Vegetables or fruit also keep far longer in a stock container than in closed packagings.
  • the stock container is indeed envisaged such that no condensation water can be formed.
  • FIG. 1 portrays a vertical cross-section of a device for the distribution of bulk articles according to the invention
  • FIG. 2 portrays a side view of this device
  • FIG. 3 portrays a vertical cross-section of the supporting structure with conveyor belt of this device
  • FIG. 4 portrays a vertical cross-section of the removable stock container of this device.
  • the below-described device according to the present invention is a device for the distribution of potatoes in packagings, this device being envisaged for use in a shop or other point of sale in connection with the bulk-selling of potatoes.
  • This device comprises a rectangular supporting structure (1) (see FIG. 3) comprising four vertical steel tubes (2) which are disposed two by two one opposite the other.
  • the vertical tubes (2) are joined together on two levels by horizontal steel tubes (3).
  • the vertical tubes (2) project over one and the same length above the uppermost horizontal tubes (3) and have an uppermost extremity (4) in which the legs (19) of the stock container (11) can be inserted over a limited length. The latter will be further discussed later.
  • the supporting structure (1) in provided at the bottom with lockable castors (8).
  • This chassis (5) essentially comprises two parallel vertical plates (7), which extend according to the direction of an axis of symmetry of the supporting structure (1).
  • the plates (7) project with one extremity farther past the vertical tubes (3) of the supporting structure (1) than with the other extremity.
  • the edge where the plates (7) project the farthest are hereinafter referred to as the front side of the supporting structure (1).
  • the other edge is referred to as the rear side of the supporting structure (1).
  • One of the two axles preferably the axle of the guide roller (9) on the rear side of the supporting structure (1), can be driven by an of an electric motor (10), which is disposed next to one of the two plates (7) on the supporting structure (1), or the guide roller (9) is of the drum-reducer type with built-in motor.
  • the conveyor belt (6) encloses the two guide rollers (9), so that the conveyor belt (6) revolves over the guide rollers (9) once the electric motor (10) is switched on.
  • the device further comprises a removable stock container (11) (see FIG. 4).
  • This stock container (11) comprises at the bottom a steel tube structure (12) on which there is centrally mounted a wooden slide valve (13), to which a toothed slat (14) is fastened.
  • a gearwheel (15) is fastened, which engages on the toothed slat (14).
  • a welded chassis (16) which is made up of steel angle-irons, in which smooth, wooden boards are fastened which form the walls of the stock container.
  • the stock container (11) has an uppermost portion, having walls (17) which enclose a rectangular space, and a lowermost portion, which is constructed in a funnel shape by virtue of two opposing walls (17') converging in the direction of the base.
  • the discharge opening (18), which is provided in the base of the stock container (11), can be opened or closed using the slide valve (13).
  • the steel tube structure (12) is provided at the bottom with four supporting legs (19), which can be slid into the top side of the vertical tubes (3) of the supporting structure (1).
  • the above-described embodiment of the stock container (11) is referred to as a slow-rotating container, by which is meant that it takes a relatively long time before it is empty and has to be replaced by another filled stock container.
  • the potatoes must consequently be able to be kept in the stock container for a sufficiently long period.
  • the shelf life is favourably influenced by the wooden walls of the stock container.
  • a fast-rotating container which needs to be replaced relatively quickly, is preferably made completely of metal.
  • the chassis (16) made up of steel angle-irons, is not provided.
  • This chassis (16) is in fact not necessary, since the completely metal construction is sufficiently robust in its own right.
  • a guide funnel (20) is disposed such that the potatoes ejected by the conveyor belt (6) fall into this guide funnel (20). The potatoes then fall via the open bottom side of this guide funnel (20) into a packaging placed beneath it.
  • a horizontal supporting platform (21) for a packaging is fastened to the supporting structure (1).
  • the supporting platform (20) also comprises a weighing device (not represented), which is connected to an adjustable control device (not represented), which is provided so as to switch off the electric motor (10) once a preset weight is weighed by the weighing device.
  • This device in used as follows: a stock container is filled with potatoes at the storage site and conveyed by means of a forklift truck to the supporting structure (1).
  • the stock container (11) is subsequently placed with the supporting legs (19) in the open extremities of the vertical tubes (2) of the supporting structure (1).
  • the slide valve (13) is opened and the potatoes drop via the discharge opening (25) down onto the conveyor belt (6).
  • the device is placed at a location in the shop which is accessible to the customer and is now ready to be used.
  • a customer places a re-usable packaging on the supporting platform (21) and sets on the control device the desired weight of potatoes (by the pressing of keys, for example).
  • the electric motor (10) is started (by means of a push button, for example).
  • the conveyor belt (6) is driven and transports the potatoes lying on it in the direction of the front side of the supporting structure (1).
  • the electric motor (10) is switched off. There are no longer any potatoes conducted through the brush cut-off (22) and the fall of potatoes into the packaging is consequently immediately halted. In this way, the customer receives precisely the desired quantity of potatoes in his/her packaging.
  • the price is printed on a label which has to be presented at the till or the price is determined following weighing at the till.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Agronomy & Crop Science (AREA)
  • Quality & Reliability (AREA)
  • Weight Measurement For Supplying Or Discharging Of Specified Amounts Of Material (AREA)
  • Basic Packing Technique (AREA)
US08/600,164 1994-10-06 1996-02-12 Device for the distribution of bulk articles and use of such a device Expired - Fee Related US5775066A (en)

Priority Applications (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE9400905A BE1008799A5 (nl) 1994-10-06 1994-10-06 Inrichting voor het verdelen van bulkartikelen en gebruik van een dergelijke inrichting.
EP95202676A EP0708020A1 (fr) 1994-10-06 1995-10-05 Installation pour la distribution de produits en vrac ainsi que l'utilisation de ladite installation
US08/600,164 US5775066A (en) 1994-10-06 1996-02-12 Device for the distribution of bulk articles and use of such a device

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
BE9400905A BE1008799A5 (nl) 1994-10-06 1994-10-06 Inrichting voor het verdelen van bulkartikelen en gebruik van een dergelijke inrichting.
US08/600,164 US5775066A (en) 1994-10-06 1996-02-12 Device for the distribution of bulk articles and use of such a device

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US5775066A true US5775066A (en) 1998-07-07

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US08/600,164 Expired - Fee Related US5775066A (en) 1994-10-06 1996-02-12 Device for the distribution of bulk articles and use of such a device

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US (1) US5775066A (fr)
EP (1) EP0708020A1 (fr)
BE (1) BE1008799A5 (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6779321B1 (en) * 2000-06-09 2004-08-24 Zellwin Farms Company Machine and method for bagging elongated produce
CN104192327A (zh) * 2014-08-27 2014-12-10 长兴县华达耐火有限公司 一种浇注料封装用进料装置
CN106394955A (zh) * 2016-10-25 2017-02-15 无锡市跨克微营养素有限公司 营养素特用电子秤
CN112693647A (zh) * 2020-12-14 2021-04-23 马国建 一种颗粒状农作物快速装袋打包设备

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CN107264861B (zh) * 2017-06-27 2022-09-20 山东省农业科学院农业资源与环境研究所 花生拆解分装机
CN113511371B (zh) * 2021-04-01 2022-08-12 崇义龙润果业有限公司 一种脐橙运输用的定量包装装置

Citations (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3241625A (en) * 1963-07-24 1966-03-22 Howe Richardson Scale Co Material feeding
US3691716A (en) * 1971-03-04 1972-09-19 Gerber Prod Product bagging apparatus
US3695371A (en) * 1971-08-02 1972-10-03 Fmc Corp Apparatus for delivering singulated fruit, weighing and bagging it
US3705475A (en) * 1970-08-24 1972-12-12 Filper Corp Packaging machine and method
US3720276A (en) * 1970-03-23 1973-03-13 C Banks Weighing machines
US3720039A (en) * 1970-11-05 1973-03-13 A Warkentin Box filling apparatus
US3738077A (en) * 1971-04-26 1973-06-12 Horn P Farms Inc Batch weighing machine
LU68295A1 (fr) * 1972-08-28 1973-11-26
US4398653A (en) * 1982-02-25 1983-08-16 Pennsylvania Pacific Corporation Portable storage and dispenser plastic hopper with plastic base
US4607478A (en) * 1985-02-15 1986-08-26 Maglecic Steven C Apparatus for packaging bulk materials composed of elongated pieces
WO1990002081A1 (fr) * 1988-08-19 1990-03-08 Norsk Hydro A.S Agencement d'emballage servant a remplir des sacs de substances coulantes
US4999977A (en) * 1990-01-29 1991-03-19 Briscoe Jack R Automatic bag filler
US5001889A (en) * 1989-09-22 1991-03-26 Volm Bag Company, Inc. Apparatus for bagging foodstuffs
US5095959A (en) * 1988-05-26 1992-03-17 Vacuum Engineering Corporation Slide gate valve system for asbestos collection apparatus
US5121775A (en) * 1991-02-25 1992-06-16 Ray Mcclain, Inc. Portable apparatus for filling bags with material to a preselected weight
EP0565157A1 (fr) * 1992-03-20 1993-10-13 Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH Procédé pour la détection et la compensation d'un balourd d'un rotor entrainé par un moteur
US5331792A (en) * 1992-12-04 1994-07-26 Kitchen Farms, Inc. Packaging unit
US5339607A (en) * 1992-10-23 1994-08-23 Regier Robert D Apparatus and method for dispensing objects to a count and/or weight

Patent Citations (18)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3241625A (en) * 1963-07-24 1966-03-22 Howe Richardson Scale Co Material feeding
US3720276A (en) * 1970-03-23 1973-03-13 C Banks Weighing machines
US3705475A (en) * 1970-08-24 1972-12-12 Filper Corp Packaging machine and method
US3720039A (en) * 1970-11-05 1973-03-13 A Warkentin Box filling apparatus
US3691716A (en) * 1971-03-04 1972-09-19 Gerber Prod Product bagging apparatus
US3738077A (en) * 1971-04-26 1973-06-12 Horn P Farms Inc Batch weighing machine
US3695371A (en) * 1971-08-02 1972-10-03 Fmc Corp Apparatus for delivering singulated fruit, weighing and bagging it
LU68295A1 (fr) * 1972-08-28 1973-11-26
US4398653A (en) * 1982-02-25 1983-08-16 Pennsylvania Pacific Corporation Portable storage and dispenser plastic hopper with plastic base
US4607478A (en) * 1985-02-15 1986-08-26 Maglecic Steven C Apparatus for packaging bulk materials composed of elongated pieces
US5095959A (en) * 1988-05-26 1992-03-17 Vacuum Engineering Corporation Slide gate valve system for asbestos collection apparatus
WO1990002081A1 (fr) * 1988-08-19 1990-03-08 Norsk Hydro A.S Agencement d'emballage servant a remplir des sacs de substances coulantes
US5001889A (en) * 1989-09-22 1991-03-26 Volm Bag Company, Inc. Apparatus for bagging foodstuffs
US4999977A (en) * 1990-01-29 1991-03-19 Briscoe Jack R Automatic bag filler
US5121775A (en) * 1991-02-25 1992-06-16 Ray Mcclain, Inc. Portable apparatus for filling bags with material to a preselected weight
EP0565157A1 (fr) * 1992-03-20 1993-10-13 Philips Patentverwaltung GmbH Procédé pour la détection et la compensation d'un balourd d'un rotor entrainé par un moteur
US5339607A (en) * 1992-10-23 1994-08-23 Regier Robert D Apparatus and method for dispensing objects to a count and/or weight
US5331792A (en) * 1992-12-04 1994-07-26 Kitchen Farms, Inc. Packaging unit

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6779321B1 (en) * 2000-06-09 2004-08-24 Zellwin Farms Company Machine and method for bagging elongated produce
CN104192327A (zh) * 2014-08-27 2014-12-10 长兴县华达耐火有限公司 一种浇注料封装用进料装置
CN106394955A (zh) * 2016-10-25 2017-02-15 无锡市跨克微营养素有限公司 营养素特用电子秤
CN112693647A (zh) * 2020-12-14 2021-04-23 马国建 一种颗粒状农作物快速装袋打包设备

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0708020A1 (fr) 1996-04-24
BE1008799A5 (nl) 1996-08-06

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